Tunisia pushes for partial lifting of travel ban as security is overhauled
Specialist security units, funded by the British Embassy, are now in place to help Tunisia protect itself and tourist visitors from terrorist attacks.
Staff put in place by UK company, Aktis Strategy, have now completed a training course and are helping to put a strategic plan into action.
It comes as the country’s Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts signed a joint agreement setting out a security strategy for all tourist establishments.
It said the strategy was being implemented in collaboration with international specialists, including British and German experts.
In a statement today, Tarek Aouadi, director of the Tunisian National Tourist Office in London, said: "As recent announcements show, there has been a complete overhaul of security arrangements in Tunisia.
"Working with foreign experts, including those from the UK, the Tunisian Ministry of Interior in conjunction with the Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts have been able to implement new measures which will make a huge difference to the security of everyone in the country."
He said the Minister of Tourism and Handicrafts, Salma Elloumi Rekik, is pushing for the UK Government to lift its travel ban, at least partially.
"UK tour operators such as Thomas Cook and TUI have announced that flights will resume at the end of March 2016, which is, of course, subject to the lifting of the ban," he said.
"They are already taking Tunisia bookings for Summer 2016."
The ban was put in place in June following a terror attack when a gunman opened fire on a beach in Sousse and shot dead 39 people, including 30 British holidaymakers.
British Ambassador to Tunisia Hamish Cowell said: "An important element of co-operation between Tunisia and the UK is the provision of technical advice, training and coaching and we will continue to provide support to the Ministry in the coming months.”
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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